Fluid pressure generation



Fe$. 27, 1940. R. M. NARDONE FLUID PRESSURE GENERATION Filed June 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

fio/rzeoy/ardone %m/ M M Feb. 27', 1940.

R. M. NATRDQNE FLUID PRESSURE GENERATION Filed June 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

$42M Nagaone Awvfi Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNiT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID PRESSURE GENERATION Romeo M. Nardone, East OrangeQN. J., assignor to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange,

N. l., acorporation of New Jersey Application June 18, 1937, Serial No. 148,997

3 Claims.

This invention .relates to' fluid pressure genera- 15 housing or breech mechanism including a novel control of the opening, closing and locking of the breech mechanism and a novel interlocking arrangement whereby ignition of the combustible material is rendered impossible in advance of a 20 secured locking of the breech mechanism.

A further object is to provide means for exhausting the chamber of the breech mechanism in advance of the cartridge and for automatically insuring the closing of such an exhaust vent prior to the firing of the cartridge, also for insuring complete evacuation of the chamber in advance of opening the breech mechanism, following the firing of the cartridge; also for regulating rate of delivery of the generated gases to so the outlet conduit leading from the breech chamber to the device to be actuated, such as the piston of a servo-motor type of starting mechanism -by which initial rotation is imparted to the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine.

35 These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from inspection of the follow-.

ing specification when read with reference to I the accompanying drawings wherein isillustrated the preferred embodiment of the inven- 40 tion. It is to be expressly understood, however,

. thatthe drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not designed as a definitionof the limits of the invention, reference being had to'the appended claims for this purpose. 45 In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the breech mechanism with the cartridge in position and the igniting mechanism also in operative position;

i 50 Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of that portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. l which controlsthe exhausting of the cartridge chamber, and with the parts shown in the position opposite to that indicated in'Fig. 1;

55 Fls. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the igniting mechanism shownin Fig. 1 but on a larger scale and with the igniting plunger in a position which it occupies whenever the breech is in the unlocked position;-

Fig. 4 is a transverse view of certain of the 6 parts as seen along the lined-4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing a detail of the locking and exhaust valve operating mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the structure of 10 Fig. 1, with a 'showing'in longitudinal section of the means for insuring evacuation of the breech chamber in advance 'of any swingin of the breech cover plate from its closed position;

Fig. 7 is a view, in longitudinal section, of the means for regulating the rate of delivery of the generated gases to the outlet conduit leading from the breech chamber; and

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of a cartridge constituent. 1 v

The cartridge H is shown in Fig. l as containing a relatively slow burning powder l2 occupying a major portion of the space within the cartridge and separated from a layer i3 of a highly combustible primer charge by an intervening partition 14 of Cellophane" or equivalent material. As indicated in Fig. 8 this cupshaped partition l4 not only 'servesas a dividing wall between the priming charge l3 and the slow burning powder chargel2 but additionally serves as a retainer for particles of fast, burning powder of the character constituting the primer charge i3. These particles 15 may be afiixed to the Cellophane surface by any suitable means as by first applying a liquid or plastic adhesive such as glue to the Cellophane surface and then depositing the particles l5 upon the surface so treated. If desired both sides of the dividing wall l4 can be treated-in this manner but in any event, it is desirable that the side which is adjacent the slow burning powder l2 be so treated, in order to accelerate the process of. heat transfer from the priming charge l3 to the 'slow burning powder l2 and thus insure ignition of the latter. The primer charge I3 is in turn confined in advance of a strip I6 of current conducting metallic material bent into the shape indicated so that one surface lies along the outer metal cap I! which extends over the end of the cartridge and along its cylindrical side for a cer- 60 tain distance as indicated at l9 where it firmlygrips the non-metallic portion of the cartridge casing. The strip of metal is bent to pass through the slotted partition Ilia (shown best in Fig. 3) and is again bent so that it will have an The means for normally holding the plunger.

2| out of position for transmission of current to the igniting disc I8, and thereby preventing premature ignition-that is, ignition prior to the locking of the breech mechanismis shown as including an internally threaded sleeve 3| operating upon an externally threaded screw 32 7 adapted to bethreadedaxially along guide pins 34 (best shown in Fig. 3) to cause a corresponding axial movement of the non-conducting sleeve 24 and thereby move the head of the plunger 2| from the position indicated in Fig. 1, to the position indicated in Fig. 3 in response to the turning of the sleeve 3| which results whenever the breech handle 4I is moved from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to the position shown in dash lines, such swinging of thehandle being effective to turn the threaded sleeve 3| by reason of the inter-engagementof the teeth or splines 46 and 41 of the members 3| and 48 respectively, the latter being the central hub portion of the handle 4|. A pin 5| secures said hub 48 of the handle to the stem 52 of the flag or latch 53 which thereby swings with the handle 4| so as to move from a locked to an unlocked position with respect'to the dependent leg SI of the breech'casing 62, which leg 6| with the toe 63 constitutes the keeper for the latch or flag 53 and prevents opening of the breech'cover prior to the swinging of the handle to the unlocked position, which swinging moves the flag 53 from the full line position indicated in Fig. '5 to the dash line position, and at the same time causes an actuation of the chamber exhausting mechanism now to be described.

The means for automatically exhausting the chamber 1| in advance of thecartridge preferably takes the form of a pair of transverse passages I2 and I3, the latter being vented to the atmosphere and the former serving to connect the chamber II with a smaller chamber I4 wherein is located a coiled spring I6 the pressure of which upon a ball type valve 11 is regulable by adjustment of the screw I8. With the flag 53 in the position shown in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 5 the end 8| of the valve occupying rod 82 sits in the depression 83 in the forward surface of the flag, in which position the rod is sufliciently withdrawn to permit spring I6 to hold valve TI against the valve seat and therefore prevent communication between the passage I2 and the vent I3. Thus any possibility of escape of the pressure'generated by the firing of the cartridge is avoided? but after the firing of the cartridge and the swinging of the handle 4| to the breech opening position the corresponding movement of the flag 53 shifts the position of the depression 83 from that indicated at 83a in Fig. 5 to that indicated at 83b in Fig. 5 and thereby creates a .cam action which presses the rod 82 forward to the position indicated in Fig. 2, in which position the valve I1 is moved oii its seat to allow exhaust of any residual pressure remaining in the chamber 'II, the exha 1st being] in the way of. the communicating passages I2, I4 and I3.

After the handle 4| has been moved to the I eject or at least dislodge the cartridge through' the intervening parts 9'! and 98, the former being a toe piece on the hinge engageable with the ejector pin 98 in response to the swinging of the cover plate, and the ejector plate 98 being in turn provided with a flange engaging the forward flange on the cartridge to eject the latter.

However, this opening of'the cover plate prematurely-that is, in advance of complete evacuation of the chamber II-is made impossible by the provision of the toe engaging lock IOI shown in Fig. 6. Referring to the said Fig. 6, the lock IOI is shown therein as taking the form. of a plunger normally held out of the path of the toe 91 ,by the action of a compression spring I02 which engages the head or piston portion I03 of the plunger, the said head portion I 03 being in turn slidable within the cylindrical housing I04 which contains a vent I05 to prevent the building up of .a pressure behind the head I03. Abutting the head I03 is a second piston or plunger I0I also slidable in the cylindrical housing I04 and having its face exposed to the pressure of any gases which may remain in the chamber" of the bridge mechanism, the said chamber II having communication with the smaller chamber I08 into which the piston I01 is movable by the above described spring I 02, the path of communication between the two chambers II and I08 being indicated at I I I. 4 long as any gases remain unevacuated the pressure set upthereby will urge the piston I01 and hence the locking member I 0| into the-position indicated at I06, in Fig. 6, in which position the I cover plate is held against any opening movement. Meanwhile the evacuation of the gases proceeds by way of the passages I2, 14' and I3, best shown in Fig. 1, till such time as the resulting pressure drop is such as to permit spring I02 to retract the plunger IIII away from interfering relation to the toe 91.

Transmission of electric current to strip I6,

(by way of electrical connections, not shown,

leading to metal disc I8, spring 23, and plunger 2|) creates a temperature rise sumcient for instantaneous ignition of the priming charge I3, and the rapid combustion of the priming charge creates suflicient additional heat to ignite the main charge I2, which thereupon proceeds to burn at a relatively slow rate, to cause a gradual buliding up of pressure in the chamber II. As the pressure builds up in chamber II the meter valve I2I, shown in Fig. '7, moves back within the imposing compression spring I22 mounted in the breech extension I 23, to permit a portion of the conduit I24 to become exposed.

for entry 0; the gases directly thereto as well as through the restricted openings 25 which function prior' to the building up of this predetermined pressure. In this manner the valve serves .to regulate the rate of delivery of the generated gases to the part to be moved-(not. shown) with which the conduit I24 communicates.

This application is a continuation in part of my application No. 107,295 filed October 23, 1936. What I claim is:

1. A cartridge firing device comprising, in

combination, a movable cartridge min: 9111-. a 75 breech having a cover plate surrounding said firing pin, means for moving said firing pin into position to ignite the powder charge of the cartridge, manually operable means for opening said breech by the withdrawal of the cover plate from closed position, and means responsive to the pressure of the gases resulting from such ignition to prevent operation of said manually operable means until the pressure of said gases 'breech chamber, means distinct from said cover plate for venting said breech chamber of all said gases, and means for automatically closing said vent in response to locking of the cover plate in the closed position.

3. A cartridge firing device comprising, in combination, a movable cartridge firing pin, a breech having a cover plate surrounding said firing pin, means for moving said firing pin into position to ignite the powder charge of the'cartridge, means responsive to the pressure of the gases resulting from such ignition to hold said cover plate in the closed position so long as any of said gases remain confined within the breech chamber, a conduit leading from said breech chamber to the point of utilization of the generated gases, and means shiftable by pressure variations to regulate the rate of delivery of the gases to said conduit.

ROMEO M. NARDONE. 20 

